******* 7 Stars!
Price: US$ 16.95, Available worldwide on Amazon.com
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ISBN: 0967044405

Description

Book Description
This book challanges America's traditional hospital based birth system, the system which has placed the United States at the bottom of the list of industrialized nations with regard to healthy babies and healthy mothers. Dr. Eisenstein explains that birth, for the majority of women, may even be safer without the routine hospital procedures: electronic fetal monitoring, episitomy, iv's, epidurals, etc.

From the Author
As I see it there is one major reason to choose home birth for your family. It will change so many other aspects for your life for the positive and affect so many decisions that you make. Childbirth at home is an event which strengthens all those who are privileged to experience it. It empowers the participants with knowledge that they can give birth and enjoy it!!

Homebirth is Better!, April 14, 2000
Reviewer: A reader
Dr Eisenstein provides the scientific facts why you should have your next baby at home. Many of the countries with the lowest infant and maternal mortality all have large homebirth services. I would recommend this book for anyone considering a homebirth, or who have to convince their friends or relatives of the safety of homebirth.

Where are the midwives?, October 24, 2000
Reviewer: pamelabirthjunkie (see more about me) from Salem, OR United States
I can wholeheartedly appreciate Dr. Eisenstein's account of how hospitals and most obstetricians in our country have caused more harm than good to mothers and babies during birth - however...

I did not see one account of homebirth midwives in his book. It is very rare to have physicians attending homebirths - I believe that Dr. Eisenstein's practice the only one of its kind - and most homebirths in the US today are attended by midwives - both Certified Nurse Midwives and direct-entry midwives. Why does he not mention them in this book? Did I miss this reference?

By reading this book, one would assume that homebirth is only safe with a physician in attendance. This is absolutely not true. I would have loved to see more references to midwives, specifically journal articles and statistics that show that homebirth with midwives (and quite possibly physicians) are as safe, if not safer, than hospital births.

Illinois is a very hostile state to homebirth midwives. I would hope that Dr. Eisenstein and his partners are helping homebirth midwives (edited to confirm that NO they are NOT). If not, I would strongly encourage them to remember that midwives are the main reason why homebirth is so nationally recognized and available for most American women. Support of their practices, efforts, and legalization is needed! We cannot continue to criminalize women who are skilled at helping women and providing a safe, reasonable alternative to insitutional childbirth!

Above all, the message that homebirth is safe is great, but it's erroneous to assume that homebirth is only safe with a physician in attendance. I would trust the loving, educated, and skillful care of a midwife for any homebirth.


Worst Homebirth Book Ever, November 21, 2002
Reviewer: A reader from Iowa
This book and the Chicago based homebirth practice are insane! Yes, it does give great insights to the advantages of homebirth, and I am a strong supporter of homebirth however Dr. Eisenstein's practice is totally nuts! You might as well have your baby at a hospital because he's just bringing it to you. I don't know about you but bringing all that medical equiptment into my house would really hinder my birth experience, and with homebirth, that's what we want to get away from, right? This book completly ousts what homebirth is meant to be.